A3 Quattro track hack.

[JB!]

So this summer has been pretty boring so far, then a mate managed to buy a 2000 Ibiza Cupra for £500 and declared his intentions to do track days.

Challenge accepted I looked for potential cars that would keep up with his, that I knew how to source bits for and could work on myself.

So my list of potentials was basically anything VAG group with either a 2.0 16v, VR6 or 20VT.

Hunted high and low then stumbled accross this little beauty!

A3 Quattro 1.8t, 150k MOT fail.














Cost me £510!

Going to get it through an MOT, sell the heated leather, service and remap it, pair of buckets and some track tyres.

Should be 200bhp with a map, but I've already found a bigger turbo, manifold and injectors for £400 that should see 260

[wolfy1988]

Get your self on Audi-sport, helpful bunch!

[Altrezia]

Amazing for the money - A friend had one when they were new and it was a nicely made, fairly rapid car - I like them.

Good work, keep us updated.

[wackojacko]

Nice buy, upgrade rear ARB aswell.


Sorted.

[JB!]

Thanks gents! Feels like ALOT of car for £500!!!

[Beefmeister]

With the Quattro system is it possible to alter the bias so it's more RWD than FWD via some fancy add-on stuff?

Or even convert to completely RWD? Now THAT would be fun.

RWD, 260bhp and strip it out - fun by the tonne.

[Lee540]

Beefmeister said:

Or even convert to completely RWD?

This if possible

[rhinochopig]

Beefmeister said:

With the Quattro system is it possible to alter the bias so it's more RWD than FWD via some fancy add-on stuff?

Or even convert to completely RWD? Now THAT would be fun.

RWD, 260bhp and strip it out - fun by the tonne.

You can get motor-sport haldex controllers but IIRC they are very expensive.

ETA I was right ~ $1000. http://www.hpamotorsport.com/haldex.htm

Shame you can't remap them like the Evo ACD/AYC controllers.

[BriC175]

How would an A3 handle track work? Are they not a bit heavy and clumsy? Don't mean to piss on your chips, just genuinely interested, as I'm on the lookout for my next car, and fancy something I can fettle with / do some track days

[JB!]

I'll be using a manual controller valve:

http://www.sqsracing.com/produkt/314:406:haldex-re...

Best I can get is 50/50.

Re: Handling

It's the same floorplan as an S3/R32/TT so there are alot of handling upgrades available, plus she's going on a diet, and so am I!

Following it home last night I'm pretty happy that with a few upgrades and alot of stripping its going to be a giggle. Currently working on a deal for a K04 turbo setup off an S3 so I can have 250+bhp

I'd much rather have this than a ropey £500 E36!

[AnnuityAdviser]

Nice colour, what's the performance like on these standard?

[JB!]

AnnuityAdviser said:

Nice colour, what's the performance like on these standard?

Its all relative!



made my 90bhp diesel van look like an iceberg! Aiming for 200bhp/tonne (S3/TT/Cupra R K04 conversion and a session with the hole saw) and a very usable chassis (good rubber, brakes and poly bushes)

Found I have a broken spring so will throw on some cheap road coilovers for now, will be used to corner weight as best I can as they won't be damping adjustable.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FK-AK-STREET-COILOVER-SU...

Heated leather is up for sale, hopefully it will recoup the costs of getting it through the MOT, mainly coilovers a set of pads and a few bulbs! I'll try and get a "factory weight" with the car before the leathers go so I know how much I have to bin to get it down to almost 1000kg!

My A3:





The £500 Cupra:

Edited by JB! on Friday 6th July 09:14

[Janosh]

Looks like a fun project....

I'll be very interested to see how much weight you can strip out. Are you planning to remove everything that isn't essential? Or just the leather & some basic trim? It can get very addictive!

[rhinochopig]

Get a new spring. Cheap dampers are largely garbage.

[ManOpener]

rhinochopig said:

Get a new spring. Cheap dampers are largely garbage.

This. Second-hand KWs and other good makes crop up from time to time, you'd be better off getting a replacement spring for next to nothing and waiting for some decent second-hand coilovers to pop up on Ebay or one of the race car supplier sites.

[JB!]

rhinochopig said:

Get a new spring. Cheap dampers are largely garbage.

Would rather have a set of new cheap FK's than 150k old shocks with a new spring.

Will probably be getting a set of AVO's for it eventually.

[JB!]

Got the harnesses free off a mate, and swapped on a set of steelies with legal tyres!

[John D.]

I can't believe that Cupra was only £500. Whats wrong with it?

[T.K]

Those coilovers are nothing more than a waste of time of money. Please don't?

[JB!]

John D. said:

I can't believe that Cupra was only £500. Whats wrong with it?

Didn't pull boost due to incorrect vac routing.

T.K said:

Those coilovers are nothing more than a waste of time of money. Please don't?

Gonna need something and 150k old suspension feels crap. Should sell on ok if/when I upgrade.